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Manchester United not actively pursuing €40m PL star

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Rohit Sarkar | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 7:02 PM ET

Manchester United are not making any concrete move to land Emiliano Martinez

The 2024/25 season was a dream shattered for us. Manchester United, the club we expect to fight for the title every year, finished the season in 15th place in the Premier League. The defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final also shattered whatever little hope was left. We brought in Ruben Amorim with hope, but he too could not do any magic by coming in the middle of the season. Now we are completely out of European competition for the 2025/26 season, and this is not just a setback, but a warning that change is necessary now.

For the last few years, there has been no solid direction in the club. Every season new players, new manager, but the result is the same – poor performance and disappointing finish. The signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo this summer have restored some confidence. Also, by bringing in young talent like Diogo Leon, the club have indicated that they are thinking about the future. However, some positions remain a cause for concern, especially the goalkeeper. André Onana made a number of mistakes last season, which cost us match after match.

Emiliano Martínez’s signing is still in doubt

Now, let us get to the real news. Attempts to sign Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez have stalled for the time being. According to Olé’s report, as relayed by Sport Witness, there has been no concrete progress between Manchester United and Aston Villa. Villa are adamant about a straight €40m demand, and are not considering any loan deal. United don’t seem to be in a mood to pay that amount, especially since Onana hasn’t been sold yet.

There’s no doubting Martínez’s quality. His performances in the World Cup showed he is made for the big stage. The 32-year-old’s reflex saves, commanding presence and penalty expertise are attributes that any top club would need. However, Villa recently signed Marco Bizot, making the Martínez situation more complicated.

Do we want Martínez or not?

As United fans, it’s disappointing that the Martínez transfer is on hold, but it’s not the end of the world. Onana’s mistakes are obvious, but he has shown improvement in the last half of the season. It’s a bit premature to spend €40m, especially when the team needs investment in so many other positions.

We agree that the goalkeeper position is important, but squad balance is even more important. If we aren’t able to sell Onana, who is intent on staying, then we can’t fund a signing like Martinez. In that case, we put our faith in Onana and work on his distribution and decision-making, then we can benefit. The Argentine is 32 years old and has almost no resale value, so United staying put and not paying that money is a smart move for now.

We would do better if we strengthen the squad overall. A defensive midfielder and a striker is more important at the moment. Also, if we want competition in the goalkeeper spot, it makes more sense to bring in a young and affordable option like Senne Lammens. Aston Villa’s stubborn attitude clearly shows that they overvalue Martínez for us. So United’s backing down is the right decision. By giving Onana more time, we can focus on the other positions. Spending everything on Martínez right now could hurt us in the long run.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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